Prepaid or pay-as-you-go software, content and services delivered in a secure manner

Abstract

A computer participates in a system for licensing use in a metered fashion using individual licenses cryptographically linked to the computer and a particular service provider or underwriter. The computer may have a cryptographic unit, secure memory, sanction and metering functions as part of a secure execution environment for enabling metered operation and conformance to a security policy. Payment for licenses may be made through a payment system with licenses generated at a server with access to cryptographic functions for verification of requests, certificate/key pair generation, and signing licenses.

1 . A method of licensing use of a computer asset comprising: 
 receiving at a server a request for a license, the license for metered utilization of the computer asset, the request including an identifier that uniquely identifies a computer comprising the computer asset;    generating the license for the metered utilization of the computer asset, the license incorporating the identifier;    receiving the license at the computer;    verifying the license;    utilizing the computer asset after the verifying the license is successful;    metering the utilization of the computer asset;    consuming a value associated with the license at a rate corresponding to a payment schedule and the metering; and    limiting utilization of the computer asset when the value associated with the license reaches a threshold.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 setting a policy corresponding to operation of the computer asset; and    limiting operation of the computer asset when violation of the policy is determined.    
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising signaling the server when the verifying the license is successful.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising accumulating a charge associated with the license against a payment account.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the accumulating a charge associated with the license comprises accumulating a charge associated with the license after signaling the server when the verifying the license is successful.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the identifier comprises a hardware identifier and a service provider identifier.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein generating the license comprises digitally signing the license.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the verifying the license comprises verifying the license using a cryptographic capability at a secure execution environment of the computer.  
     
     
         9 . A system for licensing metered-use of an asset associated with a computer comprising: 
 a server for processing a request for a license associated with metered use of the asset; and    the computer having an identifier unique within a sphere of operation, the computer coupled to the server and operable to request and receive the license, the computer further operable to cryptographically verify the license and meter use of the asset in accordance with a term of the license.    
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , further comprising a cryptographic unit coupled to the server, the cryptographic unit for authenticating the request from the computer for the license, the request including the identifier.  
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 9 , further comprising a cryptographic unit coupled to the server, for generating a key pair and a certificate including the identifier responsive to a registration request from the computer wherein the registration request includes the identifier.  
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 9 , further comprising a payment system for processing payments corresponding to processing the request for the license associated with metered use of the asset.  
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the payment system is one of a credit system, a debit system, a prepaid system, and a postpaid system.  
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the computer comprises a metering circuit for metering the use of the asset in accordance with the term of the license.  
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the metering circuit of the computer comprises a capability for limiting use of the asset when the term of the license is reached.  
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the computer comprises a cryptographic circuit for cryptographically signing the request and cryptographically verifying the license.  
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the computer comprises a secure memory for storing the identifier, the identifier comprising a hardware identifier and a third party identifier.  
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the computer comprises a sanction function determining operation in compliance with an operation policy and for limiting a function of the computer when operation of the computer is out of compliance with the operation policy.  
     
     
         19 . A computer for use in a metered business model comprising: 
 a processor;    a secure memory coupled to the processor for storing an identifier, the identifier comprising a hardware identifier associated with the computer and a provider identifier;    a cryptographic unit coupled to the processor; and    an input/output circuit for conveying a registration request to a service provider, the request including the identifier, the input/output circuit further for receiving a registration response, wherein the processor activates the cryptographic unit to confirm a digital signature of the registration response and the processor is operable to store a portion of the registration response in the secure memory.    
     
     
         20 . The computer of  claim 19 , further comprising a secure execution environment wherein the input/output circuit is operable to receive a provisioning packet comprising the identifier and a license to use at least one asset of the computer, wherein the cryptographic unit is operable to verify the provisioning packet using the stored portion of the registration response and the secure execution environment meters the use of the at least one asset in accordance with the license.